Uncaser cup

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a bottle pick-up device where a rubber liner within a cup or holder is inflated by air so as to grip the top of the bottle with a metal insert being located within the liner so that inflation of the latter will only occur at its lower operative end instead of throughout its length thereby effecting a more positive gripping action between the top of the bottle and the rubber liner.

States Patent [191 Duncan Aug. 27, 1974 UNCASER CUP [75] Inventor: AlexR. Duncan, Scarborough,

Ontario, Canada [73] Assignee: The Molson Companies Limited,

Rexdale, Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: Aug. 8, 1973 [21] Appl. No.:386,808

[30] lForeign Application Priority Data [58] Field of Search 294/63 A,64 R, 65, 86 R, 294/87 R, 90, 93, 99 R, 88

2,962,856 l2/l960 lngharn ..294/65X Primary Examiner-Richard A. SchacherAssistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry Attorney, Agent, or FirmAnthony J.Casella 5 7] ABSTRACT The invention relates to a bottle pick-up devicewhere a rubber liner within a cup or holder is inflated by air so as togrip the top of the bottle with a metal insert being located within theliner so that inflation of the latter will only occur at its loweroperative end instead of throughout its length thereby effecting a morepositive gripping action between the top of the bottle and [56]References Cited the rubber liner.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,873,996 2/1959 McHugh 294 90 3 Claims, 4 DrawingFigures 3 L R I4 5 5 IO PATENIEUAUGUIQM PRIOR ART F/G.3A

UNCASER our The invention relates to a bottle handling device. Bottledbeverages are usually sold in non-returnable or returnable bottles andit is to the latter type of bottle that the present invention isdirected.

When returnable bottles reach the beverage manufacturer, they must beuncased before passing through a sterilizer. Uncasing machines are wellknown and essentially consist of a number of uncaser heads, say four tosix, with each head including 24 bottle pick-up cups. Each cup is causedto descend over and upon the top of an empty bottle whereupon, and aswill be described herein, the cup will pick up the bottle verticallyfrom the carton or box in which it has been returned and will convey it,in a substantially horizontal plane, from the bottle pick-up station toa load conveying table leading to a bottle sterilizing machine. When thecup and its depending bottle is located over such a table, the cup iscaused to release the bottle which then falls by gravity approximately/2 inch on to the table.

Each cup has, heretofore, included a rigid holder with a resilientrubber liner disposed therein having a serrated inner periphery. Whensuch a cup has been disposed over and around the top of an empty ottle,air has been admitted to the device between the inner periphery of theholder and the outer periphery of the liner. This has caused the linerto bell inwardly and to grip the top of the bottle during the aboveconveying operation until such times that it has been desired that thebottle should be deposited on the table whereupon the air has beenevacuated from the device thus causing the liner to release its grip onthe top of the bottle.

However, such bottle handling devices have not always functionedperfectly under humid conditions. Quite high, moist and humid conditionsare usually encountered in breweries and such conditions worsen duringhumid spells of weather. This causes slippage between the rubber linersand the tops of the bottles. Additionally, the rubber liners becomedeformed owing to their constant inflation and deflation so that theyonly grip the tops of the bottles in odd spots instead of all around theperipheries of such tops.

In the case of the device operating under humid conditions and in thecase of defomed liners, the results have sometimes been disasterousbecause either certain of the bottles have been left behind or, farworse, the bottles have been dropped mid-way during their path oftravel. It is not uncommon to utilize and gang five or six uncasermachines which means that there can be anywhere between 600 850 bottlessuspended by the devices simultaneously. If either or both of theabovementioned conditions become factors, a large number of bottles mayeither be left behind or may be dropped before the operator can shutdown the power to the machines.

It is the object of the present invention, therefore, to provide abottle handling device which will overcome the above disadvantages.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken through a prior art type of bottlehandling device;

FIG. 2 is a similar view taken through the device forming the subject ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the components forming the device of FIG.2; and

FIG. 3A is a detail view.

Referring to the drawings, and firstly to FIG. 1, the prior art bottlehandling device has included a centrally bored stem 1, permitting theentrance of air, under pressure, to the interior of the device whenconnected to any suitable source of air supply (not shown). The lowerend of the stem is detachably connected to a rigid holder 2 whichcontains a resilient rubber liner 3 the upper end 4 of which is thickerthan the lower end, said upper end being provided with axial peripheralair grooves 4- (FIG. 3). The inner periphery of the liner 3, adjacentits lower end, is provided with a plurality of projecting wedge-shapedprojections 5. The lower terminal end of the liner 3 is provided with aprojecting flange 6 which fits over the lower terminal end of the holder2. The liner 3 is maintained within the holder 2 by means of a washer 7and a centrally bored screw 8 having radial air passages 8', said screwpassing through the upper terminal end of liner 3 and into the holder.The liner 3 is also maintained in position by means of a gasket 9 andretaining ring 10 in threaded engagement with the lower end of theholder 2. Inasmuch as the lower end of the liner 3 is thinner than theupper end 4, said lower end will bell inwardly when air is admitted tothe device via the bored stem 1, the radial air passages 8 of thecentrally bored screw 8, and the peripheral air grooves 4 of the liner.This will enable the wedge-shaped gripping projections 5 located on theinner periphery of the liner adjacent its lower terminal end to graspthe periphery of the upper ring UR on the neck of the bottle B. However,and as has been stated above, this is not too satisfactory under certainconditions.

The bottle handling device forming the subject of the present inventionis shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to which reference should now be made.

The device shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is so similar to that shown in FIG. 1that like references have been employed with the exception of the metalinsert 12 which is located within the liner 3 and which is maintained inposition by the screw 8 with a spacer 13 being provided between theupper terminal end of the liner 3 and the inside of the top of theholder 2. As will be seen more clearly from FIG. 3A, the terminal edgeof the insert 12 is curved outwardly, as at 14, and it is this portionof the insert which presses into the inner periphery of the liner 3 justabove the wedge-shaped gripping projections 5. Accordingly, when air isadmitted to the interior of the device of FIG. 2, the insert 12 willinhibit inward radial movement of the liner except for that portionbearing the wedge-shaped gripping projections 5. Thus, when the deviceforming the subject of the present invention is in operation, as isshown in FIG. 2, the liner 3 will grip the bottle B in a more positivefashion than heretofore and just below the lowermost ring LR on the neckof the bottle with the curved edge 14 of the insert causing the lowerend of the insert 3 to expand substantially concentrically around thetop of the bottle.

Use of the metal insert 12 has, by practical experience, shown that therubber inserts; 3 do not have to be replaced so frequently as beforewhich has meant a considerable saving in replacement parts and the costof labour for effecting such replacements. It will be appreciated alsothat the spacer 13 forms a ready means for adjusting the insert 12 toits correct operating relationship with respect to the liner 3 wherebythe gripping action of the latter will be as correct as possible.

The present invention also has the advantage of reducing the amount ofair volume required to inflate the rubber liner 3 because of therestriction placed on the latter by the insert 12. This reduction in airvolume reflects a pressure increase in the entire bottle uncasingsystem.

Finally, bottle handling devices forming the present invention have beenthoroughly tested under completely adverse conditions which haveincluded the spraying of the necks of bottles with water and the coatingof said necks with oil. In all cases, the said devices have functionedconsistently without leaving bottles behind or dropping them.

I claim:

1. A pneumatically operated bottle pick-up device including a rigidholder with a rubber liner mounted therein, said liner being radiallydeformable under air pressure to grip the tops of bottles; and a rigidinsert within said liner inhibiting such deformation throughout themajor portion of the length of said liner while permitting suchdeformation over the remainder of the length of the liner concentricallyin relation to the top of the bottle.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein one end of the insert issubstantially closed and wherein the other end is open, thecircumferential edge of said open end being outwardly curved towards theinner periphery of the liner.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the insert is detachablysecured within the liner and to the holder, spacer means being providedfor correct operating relationship between the liner and the insert.

1. A pneumatically operated bottle pick-up device including a rigidholder with a rubber liner mounted therein, said liner being radiallydeformable under air pressure to grip the tops of bottles; and a rigidinsert within said liner inhibiting such deformation throughout themajor portion of the length of said liner while permitting suchdeformation over the remainder of the length of the liner concentricallyin relation to the top of the bottle.
 2. A device according to claim 1wherein one end of the insert is substantially closed and wherein theother end is open, the circumferential edge of said open end beingoutwardly curved towards the inner periphery of the liner.
 3. A deviceaccording to claim 2 wherein the insert is detachably secured within theliner and to the holder, spacer means being provided for correctoperating relationship between the liner and the insert.